Problems always await you at your professional blind spots

Here’s one of the key lessons I’ve learned about management over the last few years.

The temptation to start doing what you do best is always huge when you come to a new job, a new project, or launch a new company. If you are a product specialist, you want to deal with UX; if you are a programmer, you want to start with code; if you are a financier, you want to keep the finances in order.

And I believe you have to do the opposite.

Be aware of your weak spots

If you are a product manager and know nothing about finances, pay them the most attention. A quick glance at your zone of deep expertise is enough to know whether to worry or not, but swift assessments do not work with blind spots. That’s why you need to focus on them.

And how do you focus? You study and analyze, attract outside experts, ask them for an opinion, and hire new people. But you must study hard and develop an understanding in any case. Unfortunately, if you are a C-level executive, it is easy to fall into the illusion that you don’t need to understand things; all you need to do is “just” manage.

However, don’t give in to the temptation. Pay more attention to your blind spots.